The purpose of the event is to raise awareness of the benefits of Fairtrade, local food and ethical trading to both residents of the borough and businesses.

Within the Solihull Fairtrade fortnight a‘Cake off’ took place on 1st March, working with the Soroptimist International Solihull Group , supported by Pete Casson, GM at Purnell’s Bistro (see below for details) as well as Fairtrade Menus in Solihull Schools from Solihull Catering Services and within some of our Gastro Card Partner Restaurants.

Connolly’s Wines on Dovehouse Parade, Solihull are supporting Fairtrade Fortnight with a Fairtrade Wine Prizedraw to win 2 bottles of Fairtrade Wine worth over £16: Running Duck Organic Fairtrade Shiraz from South Africa and Los Troncos Fairtrade Carmenere from Chile. For your chance to win this great prize. Simply pop into the shop and fill in an entry or email lucas@connollyswine.co.uk with subject heading Fairtrade Prize Draw

T&Cs: One winner (must be over 18 yrs of age) will be randomly selected on 9th March 2014 at 4pm. NB The winner will have to collect the prize from the store (and provide ID if requested) You will also receive Connolly’s wine and event offers via their mailing list.

Here are just two of the Fairtrade recipes which will be available in Solihull Primary School tuck shops and on all Secondary School menus as part of the homebake option during Fairtrade Fortnight.

The Solihull Fairtrade ‘Cake Off’ was a cake-making competition, whereby individuals, schools, businesses etc bought their entry to a central point – the Solihull Methodist Church Hall. There were 4 categories, of entry , 2 for adults and 2 for children- celebration/novelty cakes, teatime favourites for adults. Children of Junior School age and below were asked to enter 4 decorated cupcakes and those between 11 – 15 could enter any type of cake they wished.

The event took place during Fairtrade Fortnight on Saturday March 1st 2014.

Our celebrity judges were Pete Casson, General Manager at Purnell’s Bistroand Cllr Joe Tildesley, Mayor of Solihull accompanied by the Lady Mayoress alongside Carrie-anne Bishop and Nicola Meade from Solihull Catering Services. Lorely Burt, MP for Solihull also attended in the morning to view the cakes. Judging took place at 2pm followed by the presentation of prizes.

The winner of the first Solihull Fairtrade ‘Cake off’ was Annette Revell, who made a Victoria sandwich, with a blueberry jam and mascarpone and crème fraiche filling. She won a hamper of Fairtrade produce from the Co-op, a Gastro Card and Glynn Purnell, kindly donated a signed Purnell’s apron which Pete presented.

Solihull Catering Service volunteered to organise a refreshment stall which sold teas, coffees and cold drinks . They will also sold their own Fairtrade cakes.

We also invited several local companies and groups who market and sell fairly traded goods to have a stall at the event so that visitors could wander around the hall, admiring the cakes that had been entered in the competition and do a bit of Fairtrade shopping and have a cup of tea( and a cake)!

These included:

Gill Smith Fair Trade Designs

Oxfam, Solihull

Tearfund

Traidcraft

Winning cakes, will be displayed until Wednesday in the shop window of BB Boutique, which is at the end of the High Street, Solihull near to St Alphege Church.

Any cakes not collected by 4pm were sold and the money raised was shared by So-Ft, Solihull Methodist Church and a young woman who is going to do voluntary work in Zimbabwe.

We are delighted that the following Gastro Card partner restaurants will be including Fairtrade produce into their menus to support the Fairtrade Fortnight.

We are looking to promote the link between Fairtrade, local produce and your business. It’s not just the Fairtrade mark, it’s about promoting Solihull businesses to the local community and for them to recognise the importance of supporting our local economy.

Contact soft.cakeoff@gmail.com to tell us if you would like to be involved in next future events of this kind or for more information.